While working with elongated materials or workpieces such as, lumber, plastic or metal pipe, conduit, unistrut, rebar, or dowels, it is often desirable to elevate or otherwise support and hold secure such materials above a work surface. Elevating the material allows for the unimpeded movement of painting utensils, saws, drills, welders, and other tools around the circumference of the material. For example, when cutting lumber with a circular hand saw, the circular saw blade will protrude through the backside of the lumber as the cut is being made. If the lumber is not elevated while sawing, the saw blade may bind or penetrate the surface upon which the lumber is situated. This may result in unwanted damage to the surface and potentially hazardous working conditions.
To avoid these problems, workers may support the workpiece with their own body, e.g. by placing their knee under the material or supporting the material in their hand, or they may use a make-shift support or surface, e.g. steps, tables, saw horses, or cement blocks. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the prior art method of holding or self-supporting the elongated material fails to provide a stable, secure support and poses a high degree of risk of personal injury. Make-shift supports may not be intended to support the forces exerted by such activities and are often unavailable, cumbersome to move and impractical for utilities requiring portability. What is needed in the field is a stable, portable support that is capable of elevating and holding an elongated material securely in place.